"In less than two hours, our country will be without a Secretary of Defense. At a time when we have a war going on in Afghanistan, have about 70,000 troops there. We have a nuclear weapon was detonated in North Korea a few days ago. They are threatening, as they have publicly on other occasions. But, after this bomb was set off, that they were doing it to attack us. We have the situation in Iran, with all their very militaristic statements against us. All over the world, America is involved in matters dealing with our military."

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader:

"But it is shocking that my Republican colleagues would leave the nation without a fully empowered Secretary of Defense during all the things we have going on in the world, including a war."

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority leader:

"The filibuster of Senator Hagel's confirmation is unprecedented, I repeat, not a single nominee for Secretary of Defense ever in the history of our country has been filibustered. Never, ever. "

STORYLINE:

The Senate's top Democrat says Republicans are mounting a full-scale filibuster of Chuck Hagel's nomination to be President Barack Obama's secretary of defense.

Majority Leader Harry Reid says Thursday there has never been a filibuster of a secretary of defense in the country's history.